Samael - Reign Of Light review
| Band: | Samael |
| Album: | Reign Of Light |
| Style: | Electro industrial metal |
| Release date: | October 11, 2004 |
| A review by: | KwonVerge |
Disc I [CD]
01. Moongate
02. Inch' Allah
03. High Above
04. Reign Of Light
05. On Earth
06. Telepath
07. Oriental Dawn
08. As The Sun
09. Further
10. Heliopolis
11. Door Of Celestial Peace
Disc II [DVD] [2007 Re-release bonus]
Live At Paleo Festival, Switzerland
01. Reign Of Light
02. On Earth
03. Telepath
04. Moongate
+ Telepath [video]
Do you remember some guys from Norway named Psy Coma, Von Blomberg and Lex Icon, under the emblem of The Kovenant, that released during 1999 an album named "Animatronic" harmonizing successfully black and industrial metal? I'll give the answer, yes! Now, do you remember a cult black metal band that gave alternative meaning to words like "abyss", "chaos" and "hell" during the 90s named Samael? I'll answer once more, yes! What do the bands have in common? The first perfected the hybrid of black with industrial metal with "Animatronic", the second from leaders and a band standing on its own with its unique darkness-evoking music turned into followers, simple copies; bad copies I would say?
It's really sad to see as years pass by that bands you respected lose their own identity turning into simple copies. It's not bad to get influenced by other bands, what is really bad is to copy without any shame another band's sound. If you want to copy, at least be a good copy, worth-checking out and worth-listening; Samael, if you want my humble opinion, didn't succeed nowadays even at being a good copy. "Reign of Light" is a mediocre copy of a great album, moving in mellow and catchy soundscapes, and tends to be boring from the very first time you listen to it. Sadly, I spent many hours of listening to it to convince myself, firstly, that the band I am listening to isn't Samael, and, secondly, that this album has nothing, really nothing, to offer to its listener, since everything has been played in "Animatronic" and in a more intellectual/sophisticated and better way. Of course I shouldn't forget to mention that Rammstein, one of the hottest metal names nowadays, references make their appearance as the album goes on completing the hollow imagination of nowadays' Samael!
"Reign of Light" has really nothing new to offer and the best thing Samael should have to do is either change their name in order not to shame the portrait of the once sacred black metal beast bearing the name Samael or disband as long as there is still time and rape no more their glorious past! After you have listened to the album there's almost nothing that remained in your mind of what you just listened because the ideas are similar, repetitive and remind you of something you have heard before and, definitely, they don't have that special pulse that will make you want to shout "Damn! What a song/album"!
Highlights of the album? Nah? But since you push me to mention some I will say the opening track, "Moongate" which is really funny and cool to listen at to get into a better mood (it reminds me of a song of Dopestars Inc. but in a more "dark" mood and in a different groove), "Oriental Dawn" and "Inch Allah"; at least those were the songs that left in me something to remember of "Reign of Light", mainly "Moongate".
If you can't find any worthy release around to buy, please, don't buy "Reign of Light", save your money for something better; and the releases that are far better from "Reign of Light" are too many and more original, believe me?
 | Written on 12.02.2005 by "It is myself I have never met, whose face is pasted on the underside of my mind." |
Comments
Comments: 11
Visited by: 111 users
| metal2000 Posts: 146  |
I'm soory but I don't agree with you, the album is realy cool that way they are Electro Industrial Metal style only one song i don't like it and that is (Telepath) but what about (As the sun, moongate, on earth, Oriental Dawn and High Above) they made a very cool song with the electric and the guitar riff and there is also lead guitar so that what we need and people need to change and they change for good , any way I hope you like my comment KEEP IT UP
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| Skelethos Account deleted |
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| Spyroid Rosetta Stoned Posts: 1023  |
I agree with those two guys, I really like this album! But well, I haven't heard anything else from Samael.
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| Cthulhu Account deleted |
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| Bitch Boy Posts: 1353  |
Well, I also disagree with the review. It has good quality and I don't think they completely copied The Kovenant.
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| pdepmcp Posts: 141  |
I like this album. maybe it's close to eternal but with a better sound and more guitar oriented solutions. i like this new path for Samael. What the review misses is that this 'sound' was not started by animatronic in 1999 because at least there is Passage by Samael 2 years before (and Exodus too in 1998). Samael were leaders it that too  They are no more blackmetal-related, so if someone expect that sound he could get disappointed, but for the open minded this is a VERY good release
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| Danny Thomas Posts: 552  |
are you saying that just because they are doing industrial metal that they are automatically bad now? you say they are kovenant copycats, but not everyone can be the pioneer in the genre. in that case wouldn;t that make alot of black metal bands copycats fopr the same reason, i mean afterall a lot of black metal bands sound pretty similar to me(mind you i love black metal) too. in fact i love samael's black metal albums. hell, ceremony of opposites is my favorite samael album. but i don't expect them to keep releasing albums just like that 10 years later, it's going to get old. i applaud them for taking a new direction, and although they weren't the first black metal band to go industrial, it doesnt mean there sound isn;t good or that it doesn't have it's own unique elements. i'd give this album about a 7.8, because it is a decent industrial metal album. either way it deserves higher than the 5 you gave it. and i do agree with you that their black metal days are by far their best. maybe samael should have done what mortiis did and advertise samael "era 2" but give them some slack. ok im done with my rant.
---- Our children are dead. Burnt in the ruins that were left by war.
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| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955  |
I'm also gonna disagree with the review. Quote: If its like this than Therion and Tiamat should change their names or disband also.
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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| Vonpire Posts: 471  |
That review is completely wrong and the comments here prove that. This is a different yet very good album by Samael which aren't or ever will be copycats of anything...
---- Beware the Shadows of Dusk
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| BitterCOld The Ancient One Admin Posts: 15287  |
The comments prove nothing. they are merely opinions of singular people. i think it's mediocre. an improvement over Eternal, but not nearly as good as the fantastic albums which proceeded those, nor as good as the ones that have followed it. does this "prove" it's their second worst actual Samael release? (Era One would also be in the running, but the band wanted to release it under another project name... the label forced it to be a Samael release as they were concerned changing the name to a new project would negatively impact album sales)
---- get the fuck off my lawn. Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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| Daniell _爱情_ Elite Posts: 6101  |
It's not such a bad album in my opinion. Not their best for sure, but I'd give at 7, maybe 6,5.
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